Carmack: Facebook will be a 'powerful force' for VR

John Carmack has spoken positively of Facebook's acquisition of Oculus and believes the firm gets "the big picture" for virtual reality's potential.

"There is a case to be made for being like Valve, and trying to build a new VR ecosystem like Steam from the ground up," he said.

"This is probably what most of the passionate fans wanted to see. The difference is that, for years, the industry thought Valve was nuts, and they had the field to themselves. Valve deserves all their success for having the vision and perseverance to see it through to the current state.

"VR won't be like that. The experience is too obviously powerful, and it makes converts on contact. The fairly rapid involvement of the Titans is inevitable, and the real questions were how deeply to partner, and with who.

"Honestly, I wasn't expecting Facebook (or this soon). I have zero personal background with them, and I could think of other companies that would have more obvious synergies. However, I do have reasons to believe that they get the Big Picture as I see it, and will be a powerful force towards making it happen. You don't make a commitment like they just did on a whim."

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